This week, I watched the students and observed what they were doing while the teacher was in the front of the room or not paying attention. I noticed that there were similarities in both the high school and middle school settings, as well as some differences. Students seem to zone out a lot while the teacher was talking or while their classmates were presenting a project or answering a question. The middle school students mainly found ways to keep themselves entertained by tapping their feet or using pencils as drumsticks. The high school students liked to put their heads down on their desk or doodle on their notebook. I think a student was actually reading the help wanted ads during class. The agenda at both schools were pretty much the same, where my CTs checked homework, then gave a little lecture, followed by group work.
Reflection
My CTs knew that the students were antsy and not paying attention at times. They would keep the students engaged by walking around the classroom and calling on students to participate. They also kept switching instruction types to keep students on their feet, literally, moving from deskwork to group work at lab tables. My middle school CT used a bell when the students were getting too crazy and not focused on the topic at hand, which seemed to work. My high school CT knew that students would be tired because it was the first period of the day and would want to put their head down. He would get their attention by calling on their names in a non-embarrassing way. This was good to see since it was a class I would be teaching in the spring, and he showed me how to keep them engaged without singling out the student. Watching both teachers manage their classroom has given me some good ideas that I can use when I take over their classes.
This week, I watched the students and observed what they were doing while the teacher was in the front of the room or not paying attention. I noticed that there were similarities in both the high school and middle school settings, as well as some differences. Students seem to zone out a lot while the teacher was talking or while their classmates were presenting a project or answering a question. The middle school students mainly found ways to keep themselves entertained by tapping their feet or using pencils as drumsticks. The high school students liked to put their heads down on their desk or doodle on their notebook. I think a student was actually reading the help wanted ads during class. The agenda at both schools were pretty much the same, where my CTs checked homework, then gave a little lecture, followed by group work.
Reflection
My CTs knew that the students were antsy and not paying attention at times. They would keep the students engaged by walking around the classroom and calling on students to participate. They also kept switching instruction types to keep students on their feet, literally, moving from deskwork to group work at lab tables. My middle school CT used a bell when the students were getting too crazy and not focused on the topic at hand, which seemed to work. My high school CT knew that students would be tired because it was the first period of the day and would want to put their head down. He would get their attention by calling on their names in a non-embarrassing way. This was good to see since it was a class I would be teaching in the spring, and he showed me how to keep them engaged without singling out the student. Watching both teachers manage their classroom has given me some good ideas that I can use when I take over their classes.